


(Baby) It's Cold Outside

by himmelsky



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Evakteket Christmas Challenge, Fluff, M/M, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2019-02-17 15:13:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13079601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/himmelsky/pseuds/himmelsky
Summary: December is approaching, but Isak isn’t feeling the Christmas spirit. Barista guy, aka Even, wants it differently.





	(Baby) It's Cold Outside

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is based on the following prompts: Christmas magic, caught under the mistletoe and hot chocolate. I did a little twist with the mistletoe, but I’m pretty sure I won’t be arrested for it. I also threw coffee shop AU into the mix. I blame some friends of mine for that one.

**Monday 27th November 2017**

It’s cold. It’s windy. It’s raining. It’s raining fucking sideways.

Isak pulls his beanie further down, making it cover his eyebrows. He’s got a big green raincoat on, the zipper pulled all the way up and the hoodie pulled over his beanie. He ducks his face into the coat, leaving only his eyes visible. He blinks annoyedly when yet another raindrop gets caught in his eyelashes.

He could have gone straight to the tram after school, but he has been treating himself every Monday since school started in August. He isn’t about to break his tradition now, even though it’s not like anyone would point their finger at him if he did, since he always goes by himself. He needs his weekly coffee pick me up. He’s never understood why some people buy their fancy coffees on Saturdays, when it’s on Mondays it’s needed the most. Monday is truly the worst day of the week, and after enduring an entire day at school, knowing that there are still four more days to go until next weekend, he needs to reward himself. So, he’s been going to the same coffee shop after school every Monday.

Even though his feet are freezing, his worn-out sneakers are soaking wet from the rain, and he can feel how the bottom of his jeans are getting more and more wet with every step he takes, he’s willing to make this detour on his way home from school. It’s worth it. The coffee is the best one in this part of the city, and since it’s not that close to Nissen, chances are that he won’t run into someone from school. That suits him perfectly. He’s never chatty on Mondays. He’s never chatty , period.

He pushes the door open when he gets there, but doesn’t notice how the small bell above it chimes softly to signal his arrival. The coffee shop is empty, which is a first. Not even the barista is standing behind the counter, and Isak wonders for a moment if they might be closed. But the used coffee mugs on the small table in the corner and the Christmas music playing over the speakers tell him otherwise. He makes his way over to the counter, frowning. The music brings back some nice childhood memories he knows most people would appreciate, but for him it just reminds him of what’s broken, what he’ll never have again. The sadness overwhelms him a bit, and it makes him angry having to deal with it when it isn’t even December yet. He hates it when everyone and everything is so goddamn Christmassy already in November.

He’s drumming his fingers on the counter impatiently when the barista appears from the back. It isn’t the cute one with brown wavy hair and brown eyes who he has been secretly admiring all fall. This one is taller, skinnier, with his dark blond hair styled in a ridiculous looking quiff. Isak can’t help but stare at how his plumps lips stretches when his face breaks into a huge smile once he notices Isak.

“Hello!” Barista guy greets cheerfully, his eyes boring into Isak. “What can I get you?”

Isak is tongue tied by how hot Barista guy is, and he can feel how his cheeks flush when he realizes that several seconds have passed without him placing his order. If only he could remember his order.

“Maybe I can interest you in one of our Christmas specials?” Barista guy asks, pointing towards a blackboard next to the counter with a list of different Christmas coffees written in chalk. 

“Gingerbread latte” Isak murmurs as he sees the one at the top of the list and cringes. “Uh…”

“Not for you?” the barista laughs at him. “How about I make you something else? A surprise coffee? You look like you could use something out of the ordinary.”

Even though Isak prefers his coffee black, he can’t find it in his heart to refuse when he sees how expectantly Barista guy’s looking at him. He nods sceptically and Barista guy laughs again. He has the most wonderful laugh, and Isak lowers his gaze, trying to hide how endeared he is by it. He doesn’t think it’s working when he hears an even louder laugh from behind the counter.

“To go?” Isak hears Barista guy ask, and he nods again.

Isak watches him at he starts up the coffee machine, watches his parted lips, how the tip of his tongue rest against his front teeth in concentration. He makes Isak’s coffee efficiently and soon enough there’s a coffee cup on the counter in front of him. He reaches for his wallet, but Barista guy only waves him off.

“On the house”, he says,

“Seriously?” Isak blurts out. “Uh, I mean, thank you!” he says while reaching for the cup, cradling it carefully in his hands.

“Sure. Now taste it. I want to know if you like it!” Barista guy’s eyes are shining with anticipation and eagerness, and Isak’s face breaks into a big smile at the sight. It’s the kind of smile he rarely shares with anyone, especially not with total strangers.

He lifts the cup up to his mouth, not bothering to put a lid on since he needs to blow at the coffee anyway. Barista guy looks at him intently while Isak blows carefully in attempt to cool the coffee without spilling it, only succeeding partially as a couple of drops spill over the edge. He frowns a little, but brings the cup to his lips. He registers how Barista guy imperceptibly leans forward, his chin sticking out and his eyebrows raised as he takes a sip. The liquid is too hot on his tongue and he can barely taste it.

He removes the cup from his lips, and just at Barista guy is about to say something, he points his index finger up in the air, efficiently preventing Barista guy from speaking, blows on the coffee some more and takes another sip. He can taste it now, and… it’s disgusting. His face scrunches into something unrecognizable and he clears his throat a couple of times. Barista guys laughs, out loud, like really loud.

“What the fuck is that?” Isak splutters, but can’t help laughing when he sees how amused Barista guy is.

“Pumpkin spice latte”, Barista guy says.

“Pumpkin spice latte!? What’s Christmassy about that?” Isak asks in wonder.

“Nothing. I thought you didn’t want a Christmas coffee? And we still have some leftover syrup from Halloween, so I thought I’d let you try it. But you didn’t like it, huh?”

Barista guy smiles at him, his one eyebrow cocked, and Isak feels mocked, but he can’t find himself to be annoyed by it.

“No, not particularly,” Isak feigns annoyance.

But Barista guys ignores him. “Next time I’ll make you something else, something sweeter,” he says, emphasizing the last word, looking directly at Isak. Isak’s stomach flips at that.

“Next time?”

“Yeah? You’ll be coming around again, won’t you?”

“That’s awfully cocky of you?”, Isak says, the words slipping out before he can even think about it.

Barista guy’s face falls. “Uh, I didn’t mean it like that. How… how about I make you another coffee? What do you want?”

“Just a black coffee please.”

“Just a black coffee?”

“Yeah, straight up,” Isak replies. “What, isn’t that exciting enough for you?”

“I think that’s refreshingly ordinary,” Barista guy says, trying to wink at him, but it’s like he can’t keep the eye that’s supposed to stay open open. Isak can swear both of Barista guy’s eyes close at the attempt. He looks so adorable Isak’s heart melts a little.

“Then I’m sticking with my order,” Isak says confidently, pulling another laugh out of Barista guy.

He gets his coffee, says thank you and good bye, before he turns around and leaves. He doesn’t notice the mistletoe hanging above the door. 

 

**Monday 4th December 2017**

It isn’t raining like last Monday, but he silently curses Oslo for suddenly being so windy. The wind somehow goes straight through his jacket and sweater and he feels cold all the way to his bones. The pavement has dried up, and his sneakers are barely touching the ground as he walks hastily towards the coffee shop. He doesn’t pay attention to all the Christmas decorations in the shop windows he passes on his way. His mind is focusing on his destination, eager to get shelter from the wind. 

He peeks through the window once he reaches the coffee shop, and sees Barista guy standing behind the counter frowning, his cell phone in hand, like he’s concentrating. Isak notices that the coffee shop is empty yet again, and a devilish thought runs through his mind.

He walks over to the door and pushes it open using his shoulder, making the small bell above it ring infernally. Barista guy’s entire body jolts at the sound, and he loses his cell phone on the counter. Isak feels bad about it, instantly regrets what he just did.

“Sorry!” he exclaims and takes his way over to the counter hastily. “It didn’t get damaged, did it?”

“Shit, you scared me,” Barista guy says as he picks up his phone. He does a quick inspection, before he looks at Isak smiling. “No harm done.”

Isak sighs in relief, feeling utterly stupid. 

“What can I get you?”

Barista guy is looking at Isak expectantly.

“Uh, I’m not sure,” Isak says, even though he always orders a black coffee, has never been particularly interested in tasting different kinds. He likes it black, thinks a decent cup of freshly brewed coffee, made with freshly ground coffee beans, is all he can possibly want when it comes to coffee.

Barista guy looks at him for a moment, then chuckles softly. “Still not up for a Christmas coffee?”

“I don’t know,” Isak says as he looks over at the chalkboard. “I mean, I’m not really feeling the Christmas spirit, you know?”

“What? It’s already the 4th of December. This is the time you should be feeling Christmassy! Let me make you one from the list, huh? It can’t hurt, can it?”

Barista guy’s eyes are sparkling a little as he smiles crookedly and leans over the counter. Usually Isak would’ve felt the need to take a step back. He doesn’t like it when strangers get this close, but somehow, he feels himself drawn to this guy, and instead of taking said step back, he feels himself leaning in a little, and he can’t stop the blush that creeps up his cheeks when he notices how close they are. He watches how Barista guy’s Adam’s apple moves as he swallows. Without thinking about it, Isak lowers his chin and looks up at the guy and smiles at him. Since when is he this flirty around strangers?

“Uh….” Barista guy says, and it makes Isak laugh, and then Barista guy is laughing too, laughing so hard his entire body shakes from it, and it’s the most wonderful laugh Isak has ever heard.

When the laughter dies down, Barista guy is still looking at him.

“What’s your name?” Barista guy looks a bit shy when he asks, in sharp contrast to how he looked laughing wholeheartedly just seconds ago.

“Isak. My name is Isak.”

“Isak,” Barista guys says, like he’s tasting something for the first time and really wants to take his time with it to find out how the flavours go in his mouth.

“Yes, Isak,” Isak repeats, unsure if Barista guy likes the name or not. Isak hasn’t really given his name any thought, has never cared if anyone likes his name or not. But now, he hopes that Barista guy likes it.

“It’s a nice name,” Barista guy says eventually, and he smiles. “I’m Even.”

_ Even. _ That’s a nice name.

“Well, how about that coffee, Even?” Isak says.

“Yes, of course! Even’s Special Christmas coffee coming up.”

Isak laughs at that and leans over the counter as he watches Even make his coffee. He tries to pay attention to what Even is doing, tries to see if he can figure out what kind of coffee he is making him. But he somehow gets caught up in watching Even’s big hands as he operates the coffee machine. How he fills the portafilter with freshly ground coffee, how he steams the milk, how he blends every ingredient perfectly into a to-go-cup. Before he knows it, the cup is placed in front of him on the counter.

“Christmas spice latte!” Even says and beams at him.

Isak can’t do anything but beam back. How can he not?

He picks up the cup and cradles it carefully in his hands. These to-go-cups are always so scolding hot. He brings the cup up to his face so that he can smell the coffee first. It smells like coffee, of course, and some spices he can’t really identify. He blows at it, carefully, remembering how he spilled the last time. He blows a little longer this time, wants to make sure that the coffee isn’t too hot.

The taste is far from as bad as the pumpkin spice latte he had last time, but it isn’t going to be Isak’s new favourite either.

“Can you taste the different spices?” Even asks enthusiastically while leaning over the counter.

“Definitely cinnamon,” Isak says. It’s easy to play along when Even is showing such a genuine interest in coffee and what Isak thinks of it. “And ginger, I think. And… orange?”

Even nods eagerly. “Yes!” he exclaims, “That’s right. There’s one more. Can you taste it?”

Isak takes another taste, tries to figure it out, but has to admit defeat.

“Cardamom!” Even exclaims.

“Cardamom? Who puts cardamom in their coffee?” Isak frowns and looks down at the cup.

“Cardamom goes with everything,” Even says with confidence, his head held high and his shoulders pulled back, his body saying “How dare you to challenge me on this?”

If it wasn’t for the grin on Even’s face, Isak would’ve wondered if there was something seriously wrong with him.

“Well, it doesn’t that taste bad…”

“Bad? Of course it doesn’t taste bad. That my friend, is magic in a cup, right there! Christmas is all about the magic.”

“If you insist,” Isak says as he pulls out his debit card to pay for the coffee. Once that is over with, there isn’t really any reason for him to stay, so he puts a lid on the cup and grabs a couple of napkins.

“I guess I should go then,” he says, although every fibre in his body tells him he’d rather stay.

“Okay,” Even says. Isak isn’t sure, but thinks Even looks a little disappointed.

Isak takes a couple of steps back, but before he turns around to leave, he feels bold.

“Will you be here next Monday too?”

Even smiles at him. It’s a big smile that shows off his teeth. Oh boy, does this guy smile a lot.

“Yes, I work weekdays from 1 to 6 p.m. Will you stop by next Monday?” Even’s voice sounds hopeful, and Isak feels a small spark in his stomach.

“Yes,” he smiles back and watches how Even’s smile grow bigger. 

On his way out, he spots the mistletoe hanging above the door. And even though he knows it’s tradition, he still finds it a bit dorky.

 

**Monday 11th December**

The temperature is below freezing, and Isak is having trouble staying on his feet. It rained the day before, but during the night the temperature fell and now all of Oslo is one big ice rink. And sneakers really aren’t the proper footwear for such conditions. Ideally one would strap crampons to one’s boots to prevent oneself from falling when it’s icy like this, but fuck, he isn’t some 90-year-old upper class woman either. No one under the age of 50 uses crampons, certainly not 18-year-old boys. He’ll have to manage. Him and his sneakers.

He really needs to buy some winter boots though, but he can’t afford to, especially if he wants to buy some Christmas presents for Eskild and Linn, and maybe even Jonas. He still hasn’t figured out what to buy yet, but he has time to think of something. It’s almost two weeks until Christmas eve.

For himself, he hopes he gets some gloves for Christmas. He’s lost his and right now his fingers are so cold it almost feels like they are about to fall off. Normally he would bury his hands in the pockets of his jacket, but to be able to stay on his feet, he has to use his arms to keep in balance. He really doesn’t want to fall. He wants to get to the coffee shop in one piece, so that he can see Even again. It’s ridiculous how much he has been thinking about him over the last week, thinking about how they leaned towards each other over the counter the last time they saw each other, wondering if Even maybe would be interested in him too. Fuck, it’s always so hard not knowing if a guy might be interested in other guys or not. At gay clubs it’s easy, but out in the real world he’s scared of messing up.

He slips in front of the coffee shop, but manages to grab onto the outside trash can and avoids falling. He cringes about having to touch the trash can and getting his hand dirty and wipes it against his jeans. With his heart in his throat he walks the few steps to the door and pushes it open, relieved to hear the cheerful jingle from the small bell above the door, a signal that he’s finally made it inside.

At first, he’s a bit confused when he enters the coffee shop. This time there are five or six people waiting in line. He has been picturing walking in and talking to Even with the two of them being alone, just like last Monday and the one before that.

While waiting in line, two more people enter the coffee shop and get in line behind him, and he realises he won’t be able to talk much to Even today, and he feels disappointed at that.

He doesn’t stay disappointed for long, because when he sees Even’s face light up at the sight of him when he’s next in line, he feels an unfamiliar, but exciting, tingling in his stomach and the urge to smile back.

“Now, what can I get you today? Are you still up for something Christmassy or was last time enough for you?” Even asks, clearly amused.

Isak scoffs at that. “Not everyone has to be all into this Christmas spirit stuff, you know.”

“Sure they do. Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. Being with friends and family, all that food, snow. What’s not to like? Christmas is truly magical.”

“Well, sounds like  _ your _ Christmas is just wonderful,” Isak replies, instantly regretting how spiteful he sounds. That’s not the way to go about it if you want the barista to take interest in you. “I’m sorry,” he’s quick to say. “It’s just that the holiday season brings back some bad memories.” He’s a bit surprised by his own honesty, but Even doesn’t seem put off by it.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Even says reaching for the to-go-cups. “How about some coffee to make you feel better?”

Isak feels himself panicking at the thought of already having to leave.

“Just a regular black coffee, please. And, uh, I think I might sit down for it?” It’s a snappy decision, but he just doesn’t want to leave yet.

“Sure,” Even smiles and starts to make Isak’s order.

Once his coffee is done and he’s paid for it, he balances the mug to the small table in the corner, sits down and pulls out his phone and starts scrolling aimlessly through Instagram.

People keep coming in and Even is quite busy the next half hour. Isak has gone through all of his social media accounts twice by the time the influx of new customers finally dies down. Isak has been stealing glances at Even, has seen him working efficiently behind the counter, how good he is with the customers. Even is good at his job, and strangely, it makes Isak feel proud.

Once the last customer has been served, Even leaves his post behind the counter and walks over to him.

“How’s it going? Do you mind if I sit down?”

“Sure,” Isak says and gestures towards one of the chairs, underlining that he wants Even to sit down. “Busy night?”

“Yeah,” Even responds as he scoots closer to Isak, the chair scraping along the floor. “I guess people are out doing their Christmas shopping and are in dire need of coffee.” He laughs as he says the last part, and Isak smiles back at him. Why is it so easy to smile around this guy?

“Well, it looked quite hectic there for a while, but you seemed to pull it off. How long have you been working as a barista?”

“About a year. I only worked a couple shifts a week when I went to school, but I’ve been working full time this fall, mostly the early shift though. Only started working afternoons a couple of weeks ago. Do you come in here often? I’ve never seen you before.”

“Every Monday after school since summer. Too bad I’ve missed you.” Isak’s eyes go wide as soon as the words have left his mouth. He cringes at how forward that sounded, afraid that Even might think he’s a freak or something.

But Even doesn’t seem to mind, just inches a little bit closer, and once again, he’s into Isak’s personal space. And once again, Isak doesn’t mind, not at all.

“Yeah. That’s too bad. But we’re here now, aren’t we?”

Isak isn’t sure how to respond to that, and before he can come up with a reply, Even’s phone goes off with a text notification. They’re sitting close enough so that Isak can see the screen as Even opens the text. He’s received a photo as well. It’s of a beautiful girl next to a horse, the horses head tucked over her shoulder. Her eyes are shining and she has a huge smile across her face. Even smiles when he sees it and immediately types out a reply before he shoves his phone back into his pocket.

“Cute girl,” Isak manages to get out, not sure if he manages to hide his disappointment. “Your girlfriend?”.

“No, that’s my little sister. She’s on Iceland on a trip with my parents, and she’s really into horses and just texted me about how great the Icelandic horses are.” Even seems to hesitate for a second before he continues. “I broke up with my girlfriend a while back.”

Oh. Isak feels another round of disappointment slowly flow through his body. Even is into girls. Of course he is. Why should Isak be so lucky to find a tall, handsome guy working as a barista in his favourite coffee shop? That stuff only happens in movies, right?

“I hung out with this guy a couple of times last month, but that didn’t work out, so I’m definitely single,” Even continues, looking at Isak expectantly.

Due to the initial disappointment of Even having dated a girl, the words barely register with Isak, but once they do, once he sees how Even is looking at him, he feels so relieved and happy, and it must show on his face, because Even beams back at him.

“So, are  _ you _ seeing anyone?” Even asks, eyebrows raised, and Isak shakes his head eagerly, a grin threatening to spread across his face now.

“No,” he says. “No guy for me either.”

“Good.”

Isak raises his eyebrow at that, but Even only shrugs and grins at him.

“So, you’re not a big fan of Christmas, huh?” Even sounds curious.

“No, not exactly.” Isak doesn’t feel the need to elaborate on that.

“How are you spending Christmas? If you don’t mind me asking?”

“With my flatmates. Eskild is, uh, also gay..,” Isak looks over at Even as he says it, but Even only nods to encourage him to keep going.  “…and his parents don’t want anything to do with him, so he’s spending his Christmas at our flat. And Linn, well who knows what’s going on with her, but she wants to spend Christmas with Eskild and me. So, it’s just the three of us, but I reckon it’s going to be nice. Eskild has insisted on cooking a real Christmas dinner. He’s really into this Christmas stuff. Has hung up a mistletoe in our hallway and everything.” Isak watches how Evens eyes trail over to the mistletoe hanging above the door.

«And you? What are you doing for Christmas?»

“Oh, we’re having a huge family get together. All of my aunts and uncles, and almost all of my cousins are coming. It’s going to be crazy. I don’t know what my mother was thinking when she invited all those people. Even my grandmother from Denmark is coming.”

Even chuckles and shakes his head, and Isak can’t do anything but laugh with him. It feels nice, laughing with Even. It feels like the most natural thing in the world, and Isak feels free, like all the stuff that usually weigh him down have been lifted from his shoulders. He wishes he could stay like this, with Even forever. The realisation is so unexpected, and it scares him a little. This is the third time he meets Even, and the first time they have had an actual conversation with one another. How can he be feeling like this already?

He pulls away a little, scared that it might be too obvious what he’s feeling, and it seems that Even notices, because he stops laughing and looks at him. He doesn’t seem angry, or worse, disgusted, which has always been Isak’s biggest fear when coming out to people. Or, like now, when he actually likes someone and really wants them to like him back.

Even looks more like he is genuinely interested in what’s going on with Isak, like he wants to know what suddenly made him pull back like that. He doesn’t ask though, and Isak feels grateful for that, because he isn’t used to people noticing when something’s off with him and therefore he doesn’t know how to respond if someone asks him about it. It’s only Eskild who knows that Isak sometimes finds it hard to express himself, who really knows what Isak has been through with his parents and with coming out, what impact it has made on him.

Now, he thinks he might want to tell Even those things, and that scares the shit out of him. He’s desperate for a distraction and in lack of something better to do, he takes a sip from his coffee, but it’s gone cold, which makes him frown.

“Want me to make you another one?” Even asks softly, like he knows he should be careful around Isak now. Isak wonders how he knows, wonders if he’s that easy to read. The thought freaks him out a little.

“Uh, no thank you. I think I should get going. You probably need to get back to work anyway.” He gestures around the empty coffee shop.

“Yeah, I should probably start thinking about getting everything ready for closing up,” Even responds with a sigh. “I’ll see you next Monday.”

Isak notices how Even doesn’t say it like a question. It’s more of a statement he wants to get confirmed and that settles something within him, and he feels like he can trust that Even wants to see him again.

“Yeah, I’ll come by on Monday. See you then.”

“See you.”

Isak is already looking forward to seeing Even again. A small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth when he sees the mistletoe hanging above the door as he leaves. The smile stays on his face all the way home. Maybe December isn’t that bad after all.

 

**Monday 18th December**

Whenever he takes a step with the winter boots his father finally agreed to pay for, there’s a scrunchy sound against the snow. It has been snowing all day, and it still is. It’s so much snow it makes the city go silent, like someone has covered everything in cotton, and it somehow makes him feel safe. It’s still cold though, and he buries his face in the red woollen scarf he’s wrapped two times around his neck. It’s soft against his cheeks. He pulls his beanie further down, and it’s just his eyes and cold nose that are visible. He can feel it on his lips and chin how his breath dampens the scarf. It brings back childhood memories of cold winter days and riding his snow sledge down the hill just beyond the house where he grew up.

For a few seconds, Christmas music finds its way to his hears as a young woman exits a small record store just as he passes by. Where he usually would have been indifferent to it, maybe even resenting it a little, he finds that he enjoys it a bit. Just three more days until school’s off for the holidays, and he thinks he’s actually looking forward to it. He hasn’t been looking forward to Christmas break in years.

He notices how the small bell above the door chimes cheerfully when he pushes the door to the coffee shop open. The heat from inside makes the snowflakes in his eyelashes melt instantly. He notices how the counter is decorated with lights and Christmas ornaments. He thinks Eskild would have liked it.

There are two people in line, but Even spots him immediately, and his face breaks into a huge grin when Isak smiles at him. He gestures for Isak to sit down at the small table in the corner and just shakes his head when Isak points towards the counter, then back at himself. He wants to order a coffee, but Even continues to shake his head and points towards the small table in the corner. He doesn’t have it in him to be difficult about it, not today anyway, and walks over to sit down as instructed. He watches how Even takes care of the other customers’ orders. When the last customer turns to leave, Even smiles and winks at him, still using both his eyes, and Isak still finds it adorable, before he grabs a big mug and starts making some kind of hot beverage. Isak can’t tell what it is. He steels himself for what Even might be making him, the last surprise coffees Even tried to make him still fresh in his mind.

He’s surprised when Even comes over and puts the mug in front of him. It smells of chocolate and there’s whipped cream.

“You made me hot chocolate?” he asks in wonder, looking up at Even.

“Yes,” Even says with a smile on his face as he pulls one of the chairs closer to Isak and sits down. “You looked so cold and cute when you came in, all bundled up in that huge scarf of yours, I figured you could use something sweet to warm you up.”

Isak feels his heart flutter at Even’s words, but isn’t sure how to respond to them, doesn’t know if Even means what Isak hopes he means and ends up taking a sip of the hot chocolate instead. He can feel how some whipped cream sticks to his nose when he puts the cup down and quickly wipes it off with the back of his hand.

“Tastes good. Better than any of the coffees you tried to surprise me with, anyway.”

It makes Even laugh so hard his eyes almost disappear, and Isak feels proud that he can make this handsome guy laugh like that.

He’s about to start laughing too, when Even suddenly stops laughing and tilts his head, looking at Isak fondly.

“What?” Isak asks suspiciously.

“Nothing, it’s just that…”

Isak watches how Even lifts his hand and reaches for him. Somehow, he doesn’t feel the need to pull away, too curious to see what Even is up to. He looks Even in the eyes as he brushes his thumb along Isak’s upper lip.

“…you’ve got some whipped cream there.”

Isak watches how Even wipes his thumb of against his jeans. He blinks a couple of times, not able to say anything.

“I’m sorry,” Even says, a worried expression on his face. “I probably shouldn’t have done that.”

“Do you want to go to the movies with me sometime?” Isak blurts out. He doesn’t know where the words come from, doesn’t know where he got his courage from.

“What?” Even asks, beaming at him.

“Uh…”

He can’t believe he just blurted that out like that, feels his cheek heat up from the embarrassment. But, fuck it, he really wants to go out with Even.

“Do you want to go to the movies with me?” he repeats, looking down at the table, ready for Even to blow him off, maybe even make fun of him. He’s never asked a guy out before, only hooked up with a few at parties or at that gay bar down town that let 18-year-olds enter.

“Are you asking me out? Like, on a date?” Even sounds genuine as he nudges Isak’s lower arm carefully, making Isak look up at him.

“Yeah,” he lets out with a breath, feels hope almost burning a hole in his stomach.

“I’d love to,” Even smiles at him.

“Yeah?” Isak’s never been more relieved in his entire life.

“Yeah. But I’ve got to warn you though. I’ve got like the best taste in movies, and I’m picking the movie!”

“What? I’m the master of picking movies! And who says you get to pick?”

“Oh, are you really? Master of picking movies? That’s not even a real title. You can’t call yourself that!” Even is laughing so hard, he’s about to fall of his chair.

Isak can’t remember the last time he felt this happy.

They’re interrupted when a customer comes in and Even has to get back to work. Isak drinks his hot chocolate and watches Even as he works through the rest of his shift. And if Even brings him gingerbread cookies on the house, his boss doesn’t need to know.

When it’s almost closing time, Isak helps to clean the tables and mop the floor as Even cleans the coffee machine and whatever else needs cleaning behind the counter. They talk effortlessly with each other, they joke, they laugh. Even puts on “a surprise Christmas song”, and Isak groans only a little when Wham’s Last Christmas sounds through the speakers. Even just laughs, but that’s alright, because he looks so good when he laughs, and the sound makes Isak feel good, and everything is just good. They make plans to see a movie on Thursday.

It’s easy. It’s nothing like Isak has ever experienced before.

He swings by the small table in the corner to get his jacket and meets Even at the door. He pulls his beanie on, and leans slightly into it when Even tucks away a curl sticking out underneath it by his temple.

“I like your hair,” Even says softly at him.

“You’re not the only one,” Isak snorts. “I met these two Swedish women on the tram this morning, and it was the weirdest thing. They wouldn’t shut up about my hair. I tried to get away, but they kept talking to me about it.”

He cringes when he’s done talking. Even looks questioning at him.

“Uh, sorry, that was weird of me to say. Just ignore that.”

Even smiles at him then and says as he opens the door: “Well, who can blame them? You have great hair.” It makes Isak blush a little.

Isak is just about to walk outside when he feels something soft hit his head and tumble down to the floor, and he looks down at the same time Even bends down and picks up the mistletoe that landed next to Isak’s feet. Isak looks at Even’s hand holding it. He looks at Even’s face. Even looks back at him. They smile at each other.

“Don’t even think about it,” Isak says smiling. “It’s too cliché. I won’t have it.”

“It’s not cliché. It’s tradition, and Christmas is all about traditions.” Even smiles at him. He always smiles at him.

“I thought you said Christmas is all about the magic?” Isak says, tilting his face up. Even meets him halfway. The world goes quiet as their lips meet. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to [Immy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/imminentinertia/pseuds/imminentinertia) for betaing this. You are amazing! <3  
>  
> 
> I'm [himmelskys](https://himmelskys.tumblr.com/) on tumblr. Come say hello!


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